![]() ![]() He participated in and observed many cruel beatings of slaves, and took part in various forms of torture. It was upon various slave ships that Newton both practiced and witnessed acts of extreme moral degradation. He would make a living in the slave trade for the next ten years.Īt sea, Newton continued his moral decline. Generally miserable in the navy, Newton managed to transfer to a slave ship bound for West Africa. In 1743, Newton was pressed into naval service and he served as midshipman in the Royal Navy. In his teenage years he cast off his religious upbringing and pursued a life of sinful indulgence. His mother was the dominant spiritual influence in the home, but she died when he was only seven. Newton was raised in the Puritan Reformed tradition. In those 82 years Newton would spend much of that time outside of London, though he would spend his final 27 years pastoring a church there in the heart of the city just 10 minute walk away from St. Newton was born in London on Augand he would die there 82 years later on December 21, 1807. ![]() 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ![]() But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. He could sympathize with the Apostle Paul who said,ġ3 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. It was reported that in Newton’s dying days, he made the following statement, “Although my memory is nearly gone, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” This sentiment not only serves as a fit summary of Newton’s life, but also conveys the overall theme of his ministry. The story of John Newton (1725-1807), the dissolute slave trader turned evangelical pastor, hymn-writer, and activist is one of the most captivating stories of grace in Christian history. ![]()
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